Utility sick-call case



Oct. 27, 1953 R. G. REISING 2,656,915

UTILITY SICK-CALL CASE Filed March 3, 1950 1 w 4 INVENTOR F'c'o'. 3. P p Raymo d G. Reising.

ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 27, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE UTILITY SICK-CALL CASE Raymond G. Reising, Evansville, Ind.

Application March 3, 1950, Serial No. 147,409

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in sick call sets for use by priests in administering the rites of the Roman Catholic Church to the sick and dying.

The administration of the sacraments is carefully regulated according to the Roman ritual, and certain religious appointments that enhance the ceremonies are required by ecclesiastical law. The fundamental religious appointments required are: a crucifix, placed in erect position on a table or altar, which is to be covered by a clean linen cloth; and two beeswax candles, on either side of the crucifix. Some priests are either forced to dispense with the required religious appointments, carry them in a valise, or use various prepared means which take up a great deal of room, do not well serve the purpose, and additionally are not easily accessible. Among the prepared means are portable cabinets and folding carrying cases in which the ritualistic articles or objects, adapted to be folded into compact form, are mounted on a base and enclosed in a case for convenient carrying in the pocket. With such sets the auxiliary appointments, such as the oil stocks, cotton, holy water bottle, and the like, are spread about with the crucifix and the candles, detracting from the fundamental canonical appointments, namely, the crucifix and the two bilaterally disposed beeswax candles.

By the improvements of the present invention, there is provided a compact, utility sick call case which is easily accessible and always ready for use. Upon opening the cover and moving the candle holders into place on either side of a detachably mounted crucifix, the container, which rests on a linen corporal or altar cloth, provides an altar set which meets all the requirements of the canon law, and focuses attention on the central sacremental theme, namely, the elevated crucifix, flanked by beeswax candles, while avoiding the clutterin of the improvised altar with the accessory items used in the administering of the sacraments. V

The novel sick call set herein is also characterized by the fact that in the rear of the main or altar panel, the carrying case is provided with readily accessible compartments for the oil stocks, holy water bottle, clean and used cotton,

and linen corporal or altar cloth, none of which weight, portable utility sick call case for the use of Roman Catholic priests, which is characterized by the full complement of religious appointments required by ecclesiastical law, yet comprises a compact case, including a detachably mounted crucifix and candles, which case can be carried from place to place, and from room to room, without requiring rearrangement of the religious articles. The case serves as an integral part of the sick call set, and does not have to be dismantled or set aside during the administering of the sacraments. Additionally, because of the simplicity of the construction, and the special arrangement of the crucifix and candles, the solemnity of the occasion is greatly enhanced by the special mounting of the crucifix as the central and dominant element.

The above features of novelty and advantage of the construction of the present invention will be more fully appreciated by reference to the accompanying drawings in which there is shown a simple and preferred form of the invention, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view, partly in broken section of a closed utility sick call case Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1, the opened and retracted cover being indicated in dotted line showing;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the opened case, showing the arrangement of the front or altar section and the rear compartments for the appurtenant sacramentals and other requisites, and

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of the case, with the cover retracted, showing the altar section in plain, unobstructed view.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the novel sick call case will be seen to comprise a rectangular box having a bottom wall It, back wall II, and side Walls l2, IS. A front panel I4, and a rear panel 15, are permanently secured to the side walls, as shown, and divide the case transversely. Separators I6 inserted between the panels l4 and I5 define compartments 16a, 16b, I and 16d, open at the top, and respectively adapted for the reception of oil stock, new cotton, used cotton, and a holy water bottle. Corner studs l1 serve as framing members, to which are secured the end walls l2, [3, rear wall I I, and base to. Additionally, the studs or framing members I1 define a compartment 18 between transverse panel l5 and rear wall II, which compartment is open at the top, and is adapted for the reception of a corporal or linen altar cloth, designated generally by the numeral 40. The cover of the case is foldable upon itself, as shown in Fig. 2, and consists of a top panel 20, hinged to the back wall by hinges 2 I, and a front panel 22 hingedly secured to the top by hinges :23, and having its forward surface flush with the front edge of the base ID, the side walls l2 and I3 being recessed, as shown, to receive the front panel. The panel 22 is locked to the base member ID by any suitable lock, desirably of the toggle type, as shown, and designated generally by the numeral 24. A valise-type handle 25 is secured to the top of the case and serves as a carrying member.

As noted above, the central element of the set is the altar section, which is comprised of a fixed transverse panel M set in from the front edge of the base l0, and detachably mounting a crucifix 30 in the center thereof. The fioor portion of the upper surface of the base It extends beyond panel I4 to the front edge of the base,

and is designated generally by the numeral l9.

On this section are mounted aligned, opposed candle holders 3|, severally secured to the base by swivel joints 32, and severally mounting beeswax candles 33. The members 3| may be made of the same stock as studs 11, and of sufficient depth to provide a firm socketed support for the candles 33. When the cover is raised, the candle bases 3| are swung forward as indicated in the dotted line showing of Fig. 3, so as to space the candles .on both sides of the crucifix, and well in front thereof, whereby any danger of a candle flame igniting or charring the surface of the altar panel M, on which the crucifix is mounted, is obviated. Additionally, because of the construction of the holders 3|, there is no chance for wax dripping onto the casing floor, or onto the table on which it may be temporarily mounted. The priest's sick call stole 4!, and the ritual 42 are desirably mounted on and held against the inside of the front cover 22 by a double spring clip designated generally by the numeral 26, and secured to the front panel by rivets .21.

It will be seen that in operation, the sick call case need only be set on a table, the lock 24 unsnapped, and the cover retracted, or folded back on itself, to the dotted line position (Fig. 2), whereby the top of the case is exposed, leaving the various compartments containing the ritual accessories, open and immediately available. The linen corporal or altar cloth 40 is removed from its compartment I8, set on a table, and the case placed thereon. The candle holders are swung forward, the candles lit, and the sick call set is complete and ready for use. The stole and ritual are removed from the cover panel, and the attending priest is ready to proceed with the, administration of the sacraments as the exigencies of the case require, and with a truly proper ritual, canonical setting. In administering the sacraments to the sick and dying in hospitals, infirmaries, nursing homes and private homes, the ceremonies can be carried out in a canonically proper manner, and the sick call case can be moved from bedside to bedside, or from room to room without disturbing any of the. appointments thereof.

The novel sick call case is compact, one form which I have used being eight and one-half inches long, six and one-half inches high, and four and one-half inches wide. This lack of bulk makes for ease in handling, carrying and setting up, particularly as the case itself serves as the self-supporting, central altar member, with the crucifix and associated wax candles being prominently displayed, without interference by other appurtenances, thereby simplifying and enhancing the central element or theme of the sacramental ritual.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention herein, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details of construction herein set forth, by way of illustration, as it is apparent that many changes and variations may be made therein, by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A sick call set, comprising a case having a body portion with a cover foldably hinged to said body portion, said cover forming the top and front walls of the case, a recessed panel permanently secured in the case, a crucifix detachably mounted on the panel, laterally disposed swivel candle holders mounted in front of the said panel, storage means in the rear of the panel for the reception of sacramentals, carrying means secured to the top of the case, and means for locking the cover to the case, said hinged cover being foldable upon itself to expose the crucifix and candles and to afford access from the top to the storage means for the sacramentals.

els and defining compartments therewith, said compartments open at the top, a single compartment between the inner panel and the back wall of the casing, swivel candle holders mounted on the base of the case in front of the first said panel, a crucifix detachably mounted on the first said panel and between the said candle holders, said hinged top and front walls being foldable upon themselves to expose the crucifix and candle sticks and afford access to the top of the compartments in the rear of the said panel, and sacramentals disposed in said compartments.

3. A sick-call set, comprising a rectangular casing having a base, end walls and rear walls integral with the base, a foldable cover comprising a top wall hingedly connected to the rear wall and a front wall hingedly connected to the top wall, locking means secured to the front wall and the base and interengageable to lock the front wall panel in position whereby the casing is closed, at least one transverse panel permanently secured in the casing, set in from the open front thereof, said panel fixed to and defining an open top recess with the said side walls, a crucifix detachably mounted on the front face of said fixed panel, a pair of swivel candle holders mounted in the base of the recess on either side of the crucifix, and means in the rear of the said transverse panel for the reception of sacramentals and appurtenant materials required for the administering of the sacraments, said hinged top and front walls being foldable against the out-, side of the back wall, whereby only the crucifix and associated candles are visible from the front, and the sacramentals are exposed at the open top of the casing.

4. A sick call set comprising a rectangular casing having a base, end walls and rear walls severally fixed to the base, a top hingedly conconnected to the top and foldable therewith to expose the top and front of the inside of the casing, interengageable locking means secured to the front wall and the base, at lease one transverse panel in the casing, set in from the open front thereof, and permanently secured to and defining an open top recess with the said side walls, a crucifix detachably mounted on the front face of said panel, a pair of swivel candle holders mounted in the base of the recess on either side of the crucifix, candles mounted in said candle holders, and means in the rear of the said transverse panel for the reception of saoramentals and appurtenant materials required for the administering of the sacraments.

RAYMOND G. REISING.

6 References Cited in the file 01 this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Watson June 15, 1875 Fuller Jan. 1, 1889 Aderer Jan. 21, 1902 Bierens June 1, 1915 Maguire Oct. 9, 1917 Erkenswick Mar. 2'1, 1923 Gay Sept. 14, 1926 Koran Jan. 30, 1934 

